Dead Horse Poll

[Admin]

Beating a Dead Horse is a very well known metaphor. It is grown out of horse racers who use whips to beat their horse to get them to go faster. Of course if the horse is dead, beating it is pointless. But yet the person still does it.

There are many animal metaphors or sayings.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
It is raining cats and dogs.
etc

The metaphor is negative. Someone who beats a dead horse is a fool and is just wasting energy. When the metaphor is used it is not used to laud the person doing the beating, it is saying that the beating is a negative.

I personally believe in communication, I'm not offended by metaphors, but it seems a good deal of you are.

So I will give you this. I will make a poll. If the majority of the people who vote ask for it to be removed, I will remove it, if the majority ask for it to stay, I will keep it.

I will let you guys decide this one.

[Admin]

In the meantime I have moved it to the end of the list, so that you won't see it unless you access the full smilie list and scroll to the bottom (unless someone uses it in a thread of course).

[JuniperWoolf]

Meh, if it freaks people out I say take it down. It's not like this is a big "free speech" issue, it's just an emoticon. I'm sure we can live without it.

[Babbalanja]

I think taking it off the top of the list was the best idea. Now people won't have to look at it every time they post.

Regards,

Istvan

[BienvenuJDC]

I say keep it...but where is the poll?

[qimissung]

It is just a metaphor, but it is somewhat graphic so I understand others distaste. I probably wouldn't use it myself. I voted, therefore to take it down.

[The Comedian]

I don't really like it, but I'm not "offended" by it at all. I know it's just a metaphor and is meant to be playful. But, as I think one poster mentioned in the other thread deadicated to this dead-horse topic, I do think that it cheapens the look and feel of the site; it makes the site look less artful and its posters less articulate. Maybe my opinion here is just snobbery. (It probably is). But I vote to remove it on these, more superficial grounds, than out of any sense of offense.

[DanielBenoit]

Sorry horse-lovers but it is just a visual metaphor. The decision to place it at the bottom of the list hidden, is probably the best idea, so as it can stay (for I can see its practical use being greatly applied in the dozens of arguments that go on to no good extent on this board) but in being slightly hidden horse-lovers wouldn't have to be offended every time they see it.

That said, even if I find nothing innately offensive about it, and even if Admin's explanation of the metaphor is rationalistic, I suppose if others are still yet offended by the imagery then it should be taken down.

I think the main moral of this problem is that we need to learn to distinguish the difference the image itself and its meaning. Without context, yes the emoticon can be seen as offensive in its depicting of a man beating a horse that seems to be unconscious. But when the visual metaphor represents a well-known idiom, I have hardly any reason to believe that it would be offensive after clarification. The point is not that it's a horse that is being beaten, but that it's a common idiom. If it was a image representing the saying "beating a dead cat" or "beating a dead dog" then it would be different, not because the object in question is different, but because they are not as commonly used as "beating a dead horse".


First they came for the smilies. . .

I know! First they take away our guns and now our smilies! This is a call for revolution! :p

[billl]

I value metaphors, always loved this particular one, but thought the image's uniquely graphic/realistic nature (relative to the other emoticons) distracted from the metaphor itself. I can't say I hate the emoticon--it would work fine in some other forums, in my opinion. (And maybe this vote will help decide that it would in fact be a good addition here, too.) So I'll use the less extreme voting option and vote against.

[Babyguile]

I find the graphic vulgar, and I don't think whipping a living horse to make it run faster is too pretty either. But I'm happy with the meet-me-halfway idea of moving it out of sight (out of mind) down the bottom of the emoticon list. Rather symbolic to me.

[DanielBenoit]

Frankly I find this :mad2: to be more graphic. Ugh, just looking at it gives me a headache :frown2: :conehead: :frown2:

[sixsmith]

I'm still a little shocked that a pixilated image has provoked a referendum. If only people would use their indignation for good...

[billl]

That would make a good joke, but I think it wasn't one.

[Babyguile]

I'm still a little shocked that a pixilated image has provoked a referendum. If only people would use their indignation for good...

Bless you. How on earth do you think we don't?

[stephofthenight]

admin as one who doesnt like it i think that it should be removed. But at the same time i think that since other litneters use it that movin it so you dont always see it is the best compramise. thanks

[Paulclem]

It's nearly neck and neck...

[Maximilianus]

I too believe in communication and metaphors, but I see that the graphical representation of this particular horse-related metaphor is offending many people, even to the point of bitter arguments among some of our mates on more than one thread. I think it's better to remove it, if that helps to stop further confrontations.

[BienvenuJDC]

I too believe in communication and metaphors, but I see that the graphical representation of this particular horse-related metaphor is offending many people, even to the point of bitter arguments among some of our mates on more than one thread. I think it's better to remove it, if that helps to stop further confrontations.

I have a question...is the graphic really that offensive, or do people just like to fight about things?

[kiz_paws]

Chris, you rock!

I don't give a hoot about any saying whatsoever. I just don't need to see a gif sporting a saying. And there are LOTS of worse ones, as we all know.

A smilie is one thing. THAT horse one is another.

Again, ADMIN rocks!
~K♥zzo

[Maximilianus]

I have a question...is the graphic really that offensive, or do people just like to fight about things?

That's a good question Bien. I would rather go for the latter option, being a member of a belligerent species :eek:

[firefangled]

Chris,

Whether it is removed or not by consensus, I for one thank you for the consideration of moving it further into the body of icons.

It is not what I prefer, but it beats a sharp stick in the eye. (OMG!...I'm afraid to go look)

[Niamh]

i dont mind it at all. Its better out of the general view when you go to write a post, but if someone used it in the right context its not going to bother me.

(Oh and eh... i accidentally hit the wrong poll. was supposed to hit third option not the second!)

[billl]

I have a question...is the graphic really that offensive, or do people just like to fight about things?

While I don't think the post that got this whole thing rolling seemed at all like it came from someone looking for a fight, I nevertheless think this is a great point. I think a lot of the posts made the whole thing into an opportunity to play defender of this or that, and made those on the other side some sort of overgrown caricature of the ultimate enemy or something. And people probably ended up coming off as such caricatures, in a lot of cases.

Reactions can be swift and unmeasured on an online forum, unfortunately.

[JuniperWoolf]

Haha, am I the only one that thinks that just the fact that this argument exists is kind of stupid? It's ironic, we're "beating a dead horse."

[DanielBenoit]

Haha, am I the only one that thinks that just the fact that this argument exists is kind of stupid? It's ironic, we're "beating a dead horse."

Hehehe, you've said it.

To defend my three paragraph response; I was only interested because it gave me a chance to very subtly spout semiotic theory :p

[Virgil]

The metaphor is negative. Someone who beats a dead horse is a fool and is just wasting energy. When the metaphor is used it is not used to laud the person doing the beating, it is saying that the beating is a negative.


No one beats a dead horse, unless perhaps they are crazy. There is no reason to beat a dead horse in real life. Removing the icon is silly political correctness.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Why not go to the source and ask him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_PZPpWTRTU

Gilliatt

[Janine]

Why not go to the source and ask him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_PZPpWTRTU

Gilliatt

Hahah...I love Mr. Ed!

[kiz_paws]

Hmmmm ... perhaps it is time that we closed this thread as it is going off into the Outer Limits ...

We have all made our points, lets agree to disagree.

The more that this goes on, the uglier it is getting.

[*Classic*Charm*]

No one beats a dead horse, unless perhaps they are crazy. There is no reason to beat a dead horse in real life. Removing the icon is silly political correctness.

Agreed.

[skib]

Haha, am I the only one that thinks that just the fact that this argument exists is kind of stupid? It's ironic, we're "beating a dead horse."

I almost posted exactly that, Juniper. :beatdeadhorse5: